This invention relates to a rotating mower assembly for mowing around stationary objects. Such stationary objects include, but are not limited to, posts, trees and the like. In particular, the mower of the present invention is designed for being mounted on a side or rear mount hydraulic boom on a tractor or other mobile machine and used to mow beneath guard rails and around guard rail posts along roadsides.
Although prior art mowers and mower attachments exist for mowing along roadsides, such mowers present a number of disadvantages. For example, while a conventional flail mower can mow beneath guard rails and fences, a flail mower cannot mow around a post without requiring that the direction of travel of the mobile machine upon which the flail mower is mounted be changed so that the flail mower can be repositioned relative to the post. Even if such a mower is successfully moved around the post, the area adjacent the post must be mowed a second time using a handheld trimmer, or herbicides or other hazardous substances must be applied to the area adjacent the post to destroy any vegetation that the flail mower could not reach.
The invention of the present application overcomes the problems associated with prior art mowers by providing a unique mower assembly featuring multiple cutting blades that rotate relative to a central drive assembly in response to a collision of the mower with a stationary object. The mower assembly is capable of rotating in 90xc2x0 increments around stationary obstacles, which results in a mowing pattern around leaving a significantly decreased area of vegetation unmowed. The mowing pattern is so precise that supplemental trimming and/or the use of herbicides or other harmful chemicals to remove unmowed vegetation is substantially reduced. The unique mower of the present application reduces the costs and hazards associated with applying herbicides or trimming by hand, and increases the speed and efficiency of the mowing process.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mower assembly capable of mowing beneath guard or fence rails and around respective guard or fence posts without altering the path of travel of the mobile machine to which the mowing assembly is connected.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mower assembly that includes cutting members mounted on a deck that selectively rotates to prevent the cutting members from colliding with obstacles fixed in the path of the mowing assembly.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mower assembly that trims vegetation growing adjacent obstacles such as guard rails and fence posts, thereby and eliminating the need to apply herbicides or other hazardous substances to destroy the vegetation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mower assembly which is a safe alternative to the use of conventional herbicides or other hazardous substances for controlling growth of vegetation around obstacles positioned in fields or other open areas.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mower assembly that significantly reduces the need to expend additional labor and resources for trimming around guard rails and fence posts after the initial mowing process is completed.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in the preferred embodiments disclosed below by providing a mower assembly for cutting vegetation in an open area and around intermittent stationary objects such as poles or posts. The mower assembly includes a stationary platform for being mounted to one side of a mobile machine and a housing concentrically mounted on the platform for rotation relative thereto. A drive assembly is positioned in the housing and is operatively connected to and driven by a power supply. A blade is also included for being rotated by the drive assembly. A latch assembly is mounted on the housing for movement between a latched position for maintaining the housing in a stationary position relative to the platform in the absence of a laterally-directed force on the latch assembly, and an unlatched position for permitting the housing to rotate around the platform in the presence of a laterally-directed force on the latch assembly by a stationary object as the mower assembly passes to one side of the object. This permits the blade to cut vegetation growing around the stationary object as the mobile machine continues in a straight line path.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the latch assembly includes a plurality of spaced-apart levers slidably engaging an outer sidewall of the platform for moving the latch assembly between the latched and unlatched positions.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the levers has a first end for receiving the laterally-directed force, and a second end for being selectively received within a complementary notch defined by the outer sidewall.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the levers is mounted on the housing using a pivot positioned intermediate the first and second ends for permitting pivotal movement of the lever relative to the housing in response to an increase or decrease in the laterally-directed force on the first end.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, a post is attached to the first end of each lever and extends outwardly away therefrom for guiding vegetation beneath the housing as the lever pivots relative thereto.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the first end of the lever includes a vertically-oriented planar surface adapted for abutting engagement with the stationary object, thereby producing the laterally-directed force and moving the latch assembly to the unlatched position.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the levers includes a spring mounted on the housing adjacent the first end and extending perpendicularly to the planar surface for maintaining the second end of the lever in a tensioned condition against the platform in the absence of the laterally-directed force on the planar surface.
The spring is preferably a compression spring. According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the second end is a hooked tip.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the power supply is a motor mounted on the platform.
The motor is preferably a hydraulic motor.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the motor is operatively connected to and driven by a power supply positioned on the mobile machine.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the drive assembly includes a centrally-positioned drive shaft extending through the platform and interconnecting the motor with the blade for rotating the blade.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing includes an upper compartment in which the drive assembly is positioned and a lower deck beneath which the blade is positioned.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the lower deck includes quadriform platform having a peripheral side edge to which a downwardly-extending skirt is connected, thereby defining an interior within which the blade is positioned.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the mower assembly includes a plurality of blades rotatably mounted on an underside of the quadriform platform for being rotated by the drive assembly.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the drive assembly includes a drive pulley carried on the drive shaft and a plurality of driven pulleys carried on respective driven shafts. The driven pulleys are interconnected by an endless drive belt for rotation with the drive pulley.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the drive assembly further includes a plurality of driven shafts operatively connected to the drive shaft for rotation therewith.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the drive assembly includes a drive pulley positioned in the upper compartment and carried by the drive shaft for rotation therewith.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the driven shafts includes a first end positioned within the upper compartment and upon which a driven pulley is mounted, and a second end positioned beneath the lower deck and upon which a respective one of the blades is mounted, thereby permitting the blade to rotate simultaneously with the rotation of the drive shaft.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the drive and driven pulleys are interconnected by an endless drive belt, thereby permitting the blades to rotate with the drive shaft.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, a mower assembly is provided for cutting vegetation in an open area and around intermittent stationary objects such as poles or posts. The mower assembly includes a stationary platform for being mounted to one side of a mobile machine and a housing concentrically mounted on the platform for rotation relative thereto. The housing includes an upper compartment and a lower deck. A drive assembly is positioned in the upper compartment and is operatively connected to and driven by a power supply. A plurality of blades are positioned beneath the lower deck for being rotated by the drive assembly. A latch assembly is mounted on the housing and cooperates with the platform for movement between a latched position for maintaining the housing in a stationary position relative to the platform in the absence of a laterally-directed force on the latch assembly, and an unlatched position for permitting the housing to rotate around the platform in the presence of a laterally-directed force on the latch assembly by a stationary object as the mower assembly passes to one side of the object. This permits the blade to cut vegetation growing around the stationary object as the mobile machine continues in a straight line path.
A preferred embodiment of a method of practicing the invention includes the step of providing a mower assembly. The mower assembly includes a platform for being mounted on the end of a boom of a mobile machine, and a housing concentrically mounted on the platform for rotation relative thereto. A drive assembly is operatively connected to and driven by a power supply mounted on the platform. A blade is included for being rotated by the drive assembly. A latch assembly is mounted on the housing and cooperates with the platform for movement between a latched position for maintaining the housing in a stationary position in the absence of a laterally-directed force on the latch assembly, and an unlatched position for permitting the housing to rotate around the platform in the presence of a laterally-directed force imposed on the latch assembly by a stationary object as the mower continues in a straight line path. The method also includes the steps of providing a mobile machine, mounting the platform to one side of the mobile machine, and driving the mobile machine in the straight line path. This permits the latch assembly to collide with a stationary object for moving the latch assembly to the- unlatched position, thereby causing the housing to rotate around the stationary object as the mobile machine continues in a straight line path.
According to another preferred embodiment of a method for practicing the invention, the step of providing the mobile machine includes the step of mounting a boom to one side of the mobile machine for carrying the mower assembly thereon.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of a method for practicing the invention, the step of mounting the platform to one side of the mobile machine includes the step of mounting the platform on the boom for moving the mower assembly through an arc relative to the mobile machine between a use position wherein the mower assembly is positioned upon a surface to be mowed, and storage position wherein the mower assembly is raised above, and oriented at an angle relative to, the surface for permitting the mower assembly to be moved to another surface to be mowed.